Post or pile driver



(No Model.)

G. N. OLDHAM & W. M. ROBERTS.

POST OR PI LE DRIVER.

No. 337,533. Patented Aug. '7, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE N. OLDHAM AND WILLIAM M. ROBERTS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

POST OR PILE DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,533, dated August 7, 1888.

Application filed February 21 1888. Serial No. 265.527. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE N; OLDHAM and WILLIAM M. RoBER'rs, both citizens'of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post or Pile Driving Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates particularly to improvements in post or pile drivers which are intended for light work, such as fence-posts and the like, and is specially useful in driving posts or stanchions for wire fencing, consisting, as it does, in features of novelty in combination and construction that permit of the greatest facilities for expediting the work of driving the posts with the least amount of waste of time and power in so doing, and the attainment of which is the object of ourinvention,and which we achieve by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a perspective side view of a machine showing our invention; Fig. 2, a front view of our device, and Fig. 3 a perspective sectional view of the bottom of the movable clutchring for engaging the drum.

Similar letters and figures denote similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, A represents the body or carriage of the machine, and a a the wheels supporting the same.

a are hangers suspending body A to the axles.

F represents the uprights between which the hammer H is operated. These uprights may be made of wood or iron, those which we prefer being made of two pieces of gas-pipe screwed into the yokef at their upper end and similarly fastened into the shoes or sockets f at their lower end. The shoes are hinged at one end to the base A, as shown atf Fig. 1, so as to permit of the uprights being inclined when so desired, which can be done by disengaging the upright-rod supportsf from the uprights, to which they are fastened by a bolt and nut.

In the middle of the rectangular frame-work B, situated at the forward part of the car riage A, is journaled the shaft G. This shaft stands upright in a socket in the base A and at right angles therewith. This shaft at its ward to and over the pulley d upper end is shaped so as to receive and operate one end of the sweep-beam O in any of the familiar forms for so doing. At its lower end next to the socket the shaft is made angular or rectangular for a length corresponding with the depth of the clutch-ring E, and in which the latter operates up and down in its engagement and disengagement with the drum.

The middle of the drumD is provided with a smooth annular opening or journal-bearing corresponding with the shape of the shaft where the latter engages and holds it in place, so that the drum may revolve freely when the clutch-ring E is out of engagement with it,and the weight of the hammer causes it to do so by means of the rope I.

The hammer H is guided on the uprights by the lugs h, and is attached to the revolving drum D by means of the rope I. The latter, being secured to the hammer, passes up- Thence downward it passes through the pulleys d, d and d and is secured to the revolving drum D.

e is a bell-crank lever pivoted on body A, and having one bifurcated arm, (2, engaging the angular groove in the clutch-ring.

f is a bell-crank lever pivoted on body A near the base of uprights F, and connected to cranlclever 6 f is a vertical rod nearly equal in height to uprights F, and loosely engaging with one of said uprights at top and connected to the free end of crank-leverf at bottom. By vertically reciprocating said rod its connections engage or release clutch E from the drum.

f is a handle attached to rod f near its lower end, and f is an adj ustablelug thereon, which is adapted to be struck by the hammer when the latter rises.

When the machine is in operation, power is applied to the shaft G by the sweep-beam O, to which a horse is hitched, or by other suitable mechanical contrivance, the bell-crank levers c andf throwing the clutch-ring E into engagement with the corresponding teeth on the lower part of the drum D when the handle f 2 is depressed. Then the hammer is raised by the rope until it strikes against the lug f*, which raises the end of the bell-crank leverf and disengages the clutch-ring from the drum, permitting the latter to revolve freely as the rope follows the downward movement of the hammer. Then the lever-handle f is again depressed,and the machine is ready to raise the hammer for another blow without any delay orloss of power. The lug f is ad- 5 justable by a setscrew to any desired height on the uprights, so as to regulate the fall of the hammer as desired.

It will be seen that by the foregoing con struction and combination of partsin a pile or post driver we obtain the advantages of saving time with all of the necessary effectiveness of driving combined with simplicity in construction and operation.

Having thus described our joint invention,

what We claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. In a post or pile driver, the combination of the uprights, the hammer, and the liftingrope with the drum, the clutch engaging the same, and the crank-levers and connectingrods for automatically releasing said cl utch,al1 constructed andarrauged substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the uprights, the

hammer, and the rope with the drum, the clutch engaging the same, the rod f, the ad justable lug thereon, and the connections between said rod and clutch, all constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for 0 the purpose described.

3. The combination, in a post or pile driver, with the base and uprights, ol' the drum 1), shaft G, clutch-ring E, and automatic stop, gearing together, operating the hammer H by means of the rope I, substantially as shown, and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of the uprights, the hammer, rope, and drum, with the clutch engaging said drum, the vertical movable rod f its handle f adjustable lug f", and the bellcrank levers and rods connecting rodf with the clutch, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose described. 5. The combination of the carriage A, the hinged uprights thereon, the hammer, drum, and r0pe,with the clutch engaging said drum, the rodf, and its lugf, engaging the hammer, and the crank-levers and rods connecting the clutch with the rodf and operating the same therefrom, all constructed and arranged substantial1y as and for the purpose described.

GEORGE N. OLDHAM. 'WILLI AM M. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

S. S. MERRILL, R. H. PHILLIPs. 

